Using an AI processing system, FNN determines whether a lightning strike will result in a fire by analyzing many different layers of data, like the properties of the lightning, along with temperature, precipitation, vegetation and fuel data, Bartos explained.
"It allows us to find that single needle in the haystack — to pinpoint where a high-risk strike has occurred, all in 40 seconds," he said.
FNN works closely with local agencies who are most familiar with the fire risks of their region. The Florida Forest Service was one of the first groups Kereszy and his partners approached with their idea. They've also partnered with Brazilian National Institute for Space Research, the Australian National Bushfire Initiative, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.
"We can't tackle this alone," Kereszy said. "We need to form partnerships and listen to the people who have decades of experience managing the land and fighting the fires."
